The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have partnered on a unique event to highlight the impacts of global climate change on the Himalayas. The Green Hiker-Green Planet Campaign, which includes a 4-day trek through the Langtang area in Nepal's Sacred Himalayan Landscape, brings together individuals from a variety of sectors to increase awareness and spur joint action on conservation, climate change advocacy and preparedness.

“While we are disappointed in the news from the FEM-PreP study, funded by PEPFAR through USAID, other research on pre-exposure prophylaxis is underway. This is the nature of scientific research; some failures lead to other successes. We will continue to work with our colleagues in the scientific community to monitor the results of these and other research studies, in the hope that they will produce new tools for HIV/AIDS prevention.”

he United States of America and the State of Qatar signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today regarding Cooperation to Enhance Global Food Security. The MOU was signed by Dr. Rajiv Shah, Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and Dr. Khalid Al-Attiya, Minister of State for International Cooperation.

Mark Lopes, USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean met today with the Chilean International Development Agency (AgCI). The talks were aimed at implementing the recently-signed Memorandum of Understanding to advance trilateral cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In a speech at Ahfad University for Women in Omdurman, Sudan, on April 9, USAID Deputy Administrator Donald Steinberg announced a new USAID global grant program to increase the substantive involvement of women in peace processes. Grants of up to $2 million each, totaling up to $14 million, may be made available for projects that directly address the objectives of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, which calls for supporting the essential role of women in all aspects of peace and security, recognizing their leadership in peacemaking, and ending sexual violence in conflict.

During his April 4-6 visit to Nicaragua, USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean, Mark Lopes, helped celebrate the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement's (CAFTA-DR) 5th Anniversary. Over 300 business leaders, producers, small business owners and government officials attended the event, which was co-sponsored by USAID and the INCAE Business School.

“Today, April 7, the world commemorates World Health Day. This year’s theme focuses on combating the steadily growing public health threat posed by antimicrobial drug resistance -- a growing problem with implications for both national and global security. Drug resistance also threatens to reverse global health gains by making currently available first-line medicines less effective.

U.S. and Kenyan officials today congratulated 262 graduates of AFRICA LEAD, a continent-wide program that is training agriculture leaders to implement regional and country agriculture investment plans.

"Today, March 24, the world commemorates World Tuberculosis (TB) Day by celebrating the tremendous progress that has been made in combatting this disease. Milestones include a 35 percent decline in mortality since 1990, a 14 percent decrease in the prevalence of TB between 1990 and 2009, and the emergence of new diagnostic technologies that can detect multi-drug resistant TB.

Today, USAID marks World Water Day with a renewed commitment to assisting the more than 800 million people around the world without access to clean, safe drinking water, and the more than 2.6 billion people who lack access to improved sanitation.

The United States and Brazil have agreed to expand their joint technical cooperation in third countries. A protocol of intentions signed on the eve of President Obama's trip to Brazil builds on the existing collaboration between the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC).

USAID and Walmart signed an agreement on March 14 to support small rural farmers in Central America and to connect them to the retailer’s regional and international supply chains. The new partnership links Feed the Future, the U.S. government's global hunger and food security initiative, with Walmart's Global Sustainable Agriculture Goals.

In response to the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the U.S. Government through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) that includes disaster response experts, nuclear experts, as well as urban search and rescue (USAR) teams from Fairfax County and the Los Angeles County Fire Departments. The USAR teams arrived at Misawa Air Base, Japan on Sunday and included 144 personnel, 12 canines trained to detect live victims and 45 tons of equipment.

At the request of the Government of Japan, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has deployed Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams from Fairfax County and Los Angeles County to assist in the rescue effort in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

In response to the earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is dispatching a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) and has mobilized its partners, the Fairfax County Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Team and the Los Angeles County Search and Rescue Team. Each USAR team will be composed of approximately 72 personnel, search and rescue canines and approximately 75 tons of rescue equipment.

Saving Lives at Birth: A Grand Challenge for Development, was launched today to seek innovative prevention and treatment approaches for pregnant women and newborns in rural, low-resource settings. This partnership leverages the collective resources of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Government of Norway, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada, and The World Bank.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day. The global community has come far since that first anniversary, but progress must still be made. Too many countries continue to face gaps in gender quality, women's empowerment, and the welfare of their women and girls. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is committed to overcoming these gaps.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - On March 9th, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Government of Norway, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada, and The World Bank will announce a new partnership that will seek innovative solutions to reduce maternal and newborn mortality in developing countries.